Afridi, Malik retained in Pakistan Test probables list

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik and senior all-rounder Shahid Afridi was on Tuesday retained in the 22-member probables list for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
    
The probables would attend a short conditioning camp here from February 17 before the first Test starts on February 21.
    
"We have tried to consider and reward all those players who have performed well in domestic and international cricket in the last two seasons," Pakistan cricket chief selector, Abdul Qadir told a press conference.
    
However, temperamental fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was missing from the list as he has been ruled out due to a knee injury which requires surgery.

The selectors have recalled middle-order batsmen Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal and Bazid Khan while calling up uncapped Saeed Bin Nasir, who has been a prolific scorer at the domestic level for the last two years.
    
"Our priority is to build a cushion of players for the middle-order so that we have choices ahead of us," Qadir said.
    
He also defended the decision to retain Afridi in the list of probables and making him the captain for a two-day match against Sri Lanka in Karachi on February 17 and 18.

"Shahid is one of the most talented utility players we have. He has gone through a bad patch but unless we don't have a replacement for him we have to keep our confidence in him," Qadir said.
    
The selection committee meeting was also attended by captain Younis Khan, who later met Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt.

The probables: Younis Khan (capt), Misbah-ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khurrum Manzoor, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Saeed Bin Nasir, Bazid Khan, Kamran Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Talha, Yasir Arafat, Sohail Khan, Umar Gul, Abdur Rauf, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal.

Squad for two day match against Sri Lanka: Shahid Afridi (capt), Bazid khan, Ahmed Shahzad, Saeed Bin Nasir, Azhar Ali, Asim Kamal, Khaqan Arsal, Bilal Khilji, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Khalil, Wahab Riaz, Fahad Masood, Najaf Shah, Azeem Ghuman.